Eye on the world: Compassionate solutions to every dilemma

Bookmark Saved

{{ label.name }}

In “When a child has no lunch money, whose problem is it?” The Christian Science Monitor reports on “a phenomenon known as ‘lunch shaming’– [school district] policies that require lunch workers to single out children whose parents have not paid their lunch fees.” School cafeteria workers are required to deny lunch to kids whose parents haven’t paid their school lunch bills. “Some school districts deal with the problem by giving students whose parents have not paid lunch fees a bare-bones cold lunch, such as a sandwich consisting of two pieces of bread and one slice of cheese. But in some other districts, lunch shaming goes further: it may include dumping the hot lunches students had hoped to eat into the trash in front of them, making them do chores to pay off their lunch debt, requiring them to wear wristbands, or sending them home with stamps on their arms saying, ‘I need lunch money.’... Lunch shaming is not necessarily a new problem, but it’s one that has increased in intensity in recent months … [with] more than 70 percent of US public school districts [incurring] some amount of meal debt.” State lawmakers are crafting legislation to curb the practice that leaves students hungry and embarrassed, and school cafeteria workers ashamed and heartbroken.

Ideas on this subject:

From the Bible:

For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.

Related articles from The Christian Science Journal and the Christian Science Sentinel:

In “Compassion”: “The measure of compassion entertained by one is commensurate with his comprehension of this Christly quality which Jesus so perfectly expressed in his contact with sinning, suffering, inharmonious humanity. No characteristic of the Master is more prominent than this wonderful connecting link between the divine and the human.” And “In our everyday dealings with our fellow men, whatever savors of compassion helps to harmonize these relationships. The requirements of divine Love in every situation include consideration for others.”

In “The comfort that heals”: “Christian Science teaches that to bring healing, the letter of metaphysics needs to be accompanied by selfless love and compassion, the spirit and inspiration of the Christ.” And “The love that comforts and heals is not personal and emotional but spiritual, impartial, and universal. This is the love we reflect from God, the impartial love that loves simply because it is love and sees everything as God created it, lovely and beautiful and worthy of God’s love.”

The articles above and others dealing with this subject can be found on JSH-Online.com or on CSMonitor.com.

Confirm Removal

Removing this bookmark will delete it from ALL folders. This bookmark and any saved notes will be permanently removed. Please confirm.

Forgot to add folder?

You have entered the name of a "new folder" but have not yet saved the change. Select "OK" and then select the "Add Folder" option to complete this step. Select "Cancel" to save this bookmark without creating a new folder.